Official Bluehost Bloghttp://www.bluehost.com/blog
Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:42:26 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0The Evolution of WordPress (Infographic)http://www.bluehost.com/blog/educational/the-evolution-of-wordpress-infographic-5020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-evolution-of-wordpress-infographic
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/educational/the-evolution-of-wordpress-infographic-5020/#commentsTue, 17 Mar 2015 21:22:36 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=5020From its origins in 2003, WordPress has evolved from an open-source publishing platform to the most popular Content Management System on the web with over 70 million websites. The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. WordPress has recommended Bluehost for web hosting since 2005. We’ve designed our servers to run WordPress like a dream. It has […]

]]>From its origins in 2003, WordPress has evolved from an open-source publishing platform to the most popular Content Management System on the web with over 70 million websites. The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing.

WordPress has recommended Bluehost for web hosting since 2005. We’ve designed our servers to run WordPress like a dream. It has been exciting to see WordPress grow over the past ten years. Like WordPress, we are committed to the open source community and we are proud to sponsor WordCamps all over the world.

We made this timeline to showcase the major events, updates and new releases WordPress has produced during the past twelve years. Enjoy!

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/educational/the-evolution-of-wordpress-infographic-5020/feed/05 Checklists to Improve your Online Storehttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/5-checklists-to-improve-your-online-store-4941/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-checklists-to-improve-your-online-store
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/5-checklists-to-improve-your-online-store-4941/#commentsFri, 13 Mar 2015 00:08:59 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4941Ecommerce sales last year totaled more than $1.2 trillion. And according to retail forecasts by eMarketer, global internet retail sales are expected to reach close to $1.6 million this year. If you are looking to cash in on the ever-growing internet shopping industry, your e-commerce site must be completely up-to-date and relevant. This means responsive […]

]]>Ecommerce sales last year totaled more than $1.2 trillion. And according to retail forecasts by eMarketer, global internet retail sales are expected to reach close to $1.6 million this year. If you are looking to cash in on the ever-growing internet shopping industry, your e-commerce site must be completely up-to-date and relevant. This means responsive design, mobile friendly, easy to navigate, secure payment process, and excellent customer service—to name just a few elements.

The bottom line is that you need to reach your target audience, engage them on your site, and provide them with a pleasant shopping experience. There are endless features that you can incorporate into your website, of course, but for now here are five areas to improve your e-commerce site and grow your business:

1) Provide an excellent user experience

Brick-and-mortar businesses are experts at creating tangible touches—gentle background music, pleasing scents, friendly and attentive sales associates, well-arranged displays—in order to appeal to a customer’s senses. Today’s e-commerce sites must find a way to foster a similar emotional reaction rather than simply be a means of fulfilling orders.

A user-oriented e-commerce site encourages brand loyalty. In other words, users will be more likely to complete a transaction—and, more importantly, come back—if they not only get what they came for, but have a positive experience as well.

Checklist to create a better user experience:

Clutter-free interface that states clearly what the business does

Easy-to-navigate menus

Well-organized products with clear descriptions, photos, and prices

Effortless way to contact customer service—who respond quickly

Obvious social media “like” or “share” buttons

Minimal pop-ups and fast page loads

2) Make it mobile friendly

Your out-of-the-box desktop site builder from five years ago doesn’t cut it anymore. Even if it is reliable and easy for you, today’s customers are likely going to come to your site from their phones or tablets—and your site may not work as well as people expect if you don’t have a mobile version. 88 percent of users say they won’t return to a website after having a negative experience the first time. With the many devices in use today, you never know the screen sizes with which a user will be viewing your site, so it’s important to make your website design responsive.

Checklist to make your site mobile friendly:

Keep your website design simple

Use large fonts

Place important information above the fold

Buttons that are easy to use with your finger

Responsive design that automatically adjusts the display to adapt to all screen sizes

3) Make check-out easy

Do you ask for too much personal information or do you require ten screens to complete a purchase? There’s a fine line between confirming an order and turning a purchase into an obstacle course—and that’s precisely the point where people say “enough!” and leave your site. People abandon the shopping cart before completing a purchase 68 percent of the time. Some of the reasons include extra charges, a long check-out process, and too much effort involved. Your shoppers expect purchases to be quick and easy.

Checklist for easy check-out:

Include a progress indicator of the buying process

Provide several payment options, including various credit cards, PayPal, and gift certificates

Offer free shipping for purchases over a certain amount

Indicate shipping and handling costs before check out

Include the option to sign in for a simpler purchasing transaction—but don’t require a lot of personal information

Allow purchases without having to sign up

Provide a direct link to customer service in case the transaction goes wrong

4) Include high-quality product photos

We’ve all heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and yet many e-tailers are not using large, clear, appealing photos of their products. Studies show that people remember 80 percent of visually-based information compared to only 20 percent of text-based information. Images are powerful, and the better the quality of your product pictures, the better the chance you will make a sale.

Checklist for product photos:

Choose 1-3 photos for every product in order to give as detailed a visual overview as possible, and keep the number of pictures consistent for all products

Showcase the product’s benefits—for example, include close-up pictures of a luxury blanket, photos of people wearing it, or shots of a slim laptop next to a magazine to illustrate how thin the laptop is

Show all colors or styles rather than just one with a written mention of the others

5) Optimize for search engines

You can have the best e-commerce site in the world, but if nobody knows about it, you’ll never make a sale. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting people to your website from the results of their search in Google, Bing or Yahoo. You need to tell the search engines how to find you and what you do so that they can direct potential customers to your site.

Include relevant keywords, so if you’re selling luxury baby blankets you’ll want to ensure that those words appear on every page of your site, in the URLs of each page, and in the alt text and file name of your images

Link to or from other authoritative sites

Ensure that all your pages have fast load times

If you can check off all of these features as part of your site, you will be set up to attract more visitors, provide them with an excellent and seamless experience, and drive more sales!

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/5-checklists-to-improve-your-online-store-4941/feed/0Why you need a website for your brick-and-mortar storehttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/why-you-need-a-website-for-your-brick-and-mortar-store-4911/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-you-need-a-website-for-your-brick-and-mortar-store
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/why-you-need-a-website-for-your-brick-and-mortar-store-4911/#commentsFri, 06 Mar 2015 22:48:06 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4911In the mid-1990s, smart, forward-thinking businesses were asking some valid questions about whether to explore this new world called “The Internet.” Since the World Wide Web as we know it was still in its infancy, business owners were wise to be a little cautious about committing resources to something unproven that also threatened to disrupt […]

]]>In the mid-1990s, smart, forward-thinking businesses were asking some valid questions about whether to explore this new world called “The Internet.” Since the World Wide Web as we know it was still in its infancy, business owners were wise to be a little cautious about committing resources to something unproven that also threatened to disrupt traditional commerce methods.

Even analysts were hesitant early on—Newsweek columnist Clifford Stoll had nothing but disdain for the brave new online world in a 1995 piece. Economist Paul Krugman also speculated in 1998 that the Internet would grow slowly and never catch on as a serious business tool any more than the fax machine. Boy were they wrong.

This new model meant that people no longer had to visit a brick-and-mortar store in order to shop or browse. They wouldn’t see the great displays, and shop owners suddenly found that business was more competitive, since consumers now had easy access to products from anywhere in the world. Embracing the concept required a shift in thinking, spending, and merchandising for small business owners.

So while it was probably wise to be a little cautious and take a wait-and-see approach back then, these days more and more business leaders are concluding that being an online hold-out may cost you money. In fact, 93 percent of purchases begin with an online search, which means that without a website, you only have access to seven percent of the existing market. This video we made for our shared hosting platform shows how the possibilities for your business grow exponentially when it can be found online.

You can see how having a website can help people in your community find your business. And that isn’t the only benefit. Here’s our list for why having a website for your business is an absolute must:

24/7 Exposure. Why put an end to shopping opportunities at six p.m.? Your brick-and-mortar location has “office” hours and people who wish to make a purchase or simply have questions will have to accommodate this schedule. But the convenience of a website, especially one that offers e-commerce, is that people can take care of their business on their own time. They can browse, shop, read your FAQs or send you an email—all while you’re sleeping or enjoying dinner out with your family. So quite simply, the more exposure you have, the better chance you have of making a sale.

New Customers. You probably have loyal shoppers who live or work in the neighborhood, but you are missing out on a whole other world of potential customers just because they don’t live in your zip code. Even if you distribute flyers, advertise in the local papers, and send out email blasts, you’re still limited to the customers you know, their friends and family, and other locals. Having a website allows you to tap into a national or international market that is already out there and grow your customer base—not to mention increase sales.

Easy and Cost-efficient. Sure, web design used to be complex when people had to calculate their own color values and program each element of a page. But these days there are plenty of free, do-it-yourself website builders, not to mention a slew of tutorials for all skill levels. WordPress offers thousands of drag-and-drop templates so all you have to do is find one that you like and enter your business’ information. Once you feel a little more comfortable with this basic set-up, you can look into plug-ins, which are smaller programs that can be added to your WordPress page to further customize it. BusinessNewsDaily suggests some other tools to improve your organization, including ways to make your website show up in searches better—which means more traffic to your e-commerce site.

Credibility. Research shows that 89 percent of today’s shoppers prefer to shop online over at a store for the convenience, and the younger generation may even be suspicious of a business’ lack of online presence. Including a website in your branding strategy gives you the credibility that consumers are looking for when they are at the point of purchase. Your website should include a blog where you (or someone you hire) writes posts about your product, service or industry in a way that makes you an expert and the go-to website for information or tips. This furthers your reputation and gives you more credibility, which can, in turn, lead to more sales.

Pre-sell Products. With a website, it’s easy to pre-sell your products that are still in the production process. All you need is one or two quality photos, an alluring description, and an availability date. Get people excited about your new product well before it ever hits the shelves, and gather the customers’ pre-sell orders through your website. Keep in mind that an online presence doesn’t exclude a brick-and-mortar shop; you can always allow shoppers to place the order online but encourage them to pick it up at your location. This is a clever way to get people into the store and create a reputation for being a business with stellar online and offline service.

Stay Current. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 470,000 small businesses close every year. This means that today’s mom-and-pop store owner needs to be a marketer, a social media strategist, a PR expert, a skilled salesperson—and, of course, have a top-notch product to sell. While this may sound like a lot, it is easier to do when you have a website, because much of it is taken care for you. For example, building a website with WordPress makes it simple to optimize your site with keywords for high search engine ranking (marketing), link up to all your social media accounts (social strategy), and include quality photos that, with your eye-catching product description, is sure to draw in customers (sales).

In conclusion, having a website for your store will lead directly to increased sales. So build or commission a website for your mom-and-pop shop and enable more people in your area to discover your local, personalized, in-store service!

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/why-you-need-a-website-for-your-brick-and-mortar-store-4911/feed/0HTML AND CSS CHEAT SHEET (INFOGRAPHIC)http://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/html-css-cheat-sheet-infographic-4181/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=html-css-cheat-sheet-infographic
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/html-css-cheat-sheet-infographic-4181/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:00:17 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4181Designing your own website can take a lot of time and effort. At Bluehost we help to make that process easier. That’s why we offer WordPress and Weebly web-builders as part your hosting package. Even with these tools, it is important to know some basic coding when building your website. If you haven’t used HTML and CSS […]

]]>Designing your own website can take a lot of time and effort. At Bluehost we help to make that process easier. That’s why we offer WordPress and Weebly web-builders as part your hosting package. Even with these tools, it is important to know some basic coding when building your website.

If you haven’t used HTML and CSS before, or if you consider yourself a beginner, take some time to familiarize yourself with these basic coding languages using this cheat sheet.

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/html-css-cheat-sheet-infographic-4181/feed/0How to attract visitors to your sitehttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/how-to-attract-visitors-to-your-site-4211/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-attract-visitors-to-your-site
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/how-to-attract-visitors-to-your-site-4211/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:38:26 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4211Content remains king in 2015, but design is moving up the ladder when it comes to attracting visitors to your website and keeping them there. In fact, design is more important than ever before because we are becoming a culture of skimmers. We are interested in reading the highlights about a topic, but we rarely finish the […]

]]>Content remains king in 2015, but design is moving up the ladder when it comes to attracting visitors to your website and keeping them there. In fact, design is more important than ever before because we are becoming a culture of skimmers. We are interested in reading the highlights about a topic, but we rarely finish the entire article. Time.com reports that the average reader of an online article will leave after only 15 seconds!

So, if everyone is skimming and skipping, what can you do to keep your visitors reading? For starters it helps if you include photos and videos on your pages. However, just throwing these elements onto your site won’t cut it. You need a functional and finished design that will attract visitors to your site and keep them there long enough to discover what you have to say.

Getting the design just right can be tricky business. Too cluttered or wordy and you risk frustrating the reader, but a responsive design with interesting graphics, white space, stylish fonts, and well-chosen colors will attract and engage viewers.

A functional and finished design is key to attracting visitors and keeping them on your page

If you are building your site on your own, you might feel like professional-looking design is way over your head. But you can do it and we can help. Call our site design team or check out some of our video tutorials on WordPress and Weebly. Web building has a learning curve, but if you spend the time to familiarize yourself with it, you can access a vast world of readers and customers for your blog or business.

These eight web design trends will help you attract and keep readers on your page:

Responsive design. Designers have traditionally been encouraged to create different versions of sites for different audiences, such as desktops, laptops, phones or tablets. Responsive design means that the site automatically resizes itself to fit any size screen. Because people are accessing the internet from smartphones and tablets in ever greater numbers, this is pretty much a requirement.

HTML5. Though Flash made it relatively easy to program motion, it had Apple-sized flaws, and this lack of compatibility was especially noticeable to iOS users. HTML5 is a better choice for multi-platform motion.

Vertical scrolling. In the past, websites sent users from the home page to other linked pages, possibly to increase time and interaction on the site (think slideshows or multi-page articles). But design expert Karl Hodge says the focus today is on keeping the user on the main page where they are less likely to lose interest and leave.

Mobile first. Desktop and laptop use is shrinking while phone and tablet use is growing—with smartphone use in the lead. So if you want to reach the largest audience, focus on the mobile audience first.

More WordPress options. WordPress was introduced in 2003, and over the last decade more customization options have become available at all skill levels, including free and for-purchase templates. They include drag-and-drop options for non-coders, and templates for talented designers. WordPress is easier, more affordable, and more search-engine friendly than ever before—and looks great, too.

More hidden elements. We’re talking about elements that appear when you hover over them—like menus. Amber Turner of TheNextWeb.com says tablet readers are becoming accustomed to knowing where menus should be, even if you can’t see them.

Larger type. Turner says many visually exciting sites are experimenting with different size fonts to create variety and appeal, including larger words for emphasis.

One dominant color. Tom Laurinavicius from Designmodo predicts that more sites will rely on one prime color in several areas, which can help continuity and branding. The opposite can be true, too—an element that’s deliberately not the uniform color will stand out for added focus.

To conclude, investing time, effort, and money in your website design are some of the best things you can do to attract new viewers and keep them on your page. Try to incorporate the design trends we mentioned above or find trends of your own that are proven to enhance usability, readability, and visual appeal.

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/website-design/how-to-attract-visitors-to-your-site-4211/feed/0The Internet Countdownhttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/web-industry/net-neutrality-countdown-4335/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=net-neutrality-countdown
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/web-industry/net-neutrality-countdown-4335/#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 00:03:06 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4335With only one week to go until the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) votes on new rules regarding the internet, now is the time to learn about net neutrality and join The Battle for the Net. Everyone from T.V. show hosts such as John Oliver to President Obama have shared their opinions on the topic of net neutrality, the concept […]

]]>With only one week to go until the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) votes on new rules regarding the internet, now is the time to learn about net neutrality and join The Battle for the Net.

Everyone from T.V. show hosts such as John Oliver to President Obama have shared their opinions on the topic of net neutrality, the concept that all online data should be treated equally or should move at the same speed.

Here at Bluehost we support an open and free internet. We believe in open source technology. We built our business on it. And we work closely with our partners to help grow the open source community. We oppose regulations that would allow internet service providers and cable companies to discriminate against legal content or to create fast lanes for those who pay more to have their content distributed first.

If you still aren’t sure about how net neutrality impacts you and why we should protect it, watch this short video from American Public Media.

We first announced our support for net neutrality in a blog post in September 2014. However, a lot has happened since then and the FCC will vote on new regulations for the internet in just one week! Some members of Congress have ties to big cable and internet companies and oppose net neutrality because those companies oppose it.

We encourage you to contact your legislators this week and let them know you support net neutrality. Visit www.battleforthenet.com to learn more and to get involved.

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/web-industry/net-neutrality-countdown-4335/feed/0How to Migrate Your WordPress Site to a New Domainhttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/migrate-wordpress-site-new-domain-4132/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=migrate-wordpress-site-new-domain
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/migrate-wordpress-site-new-domain-4132/#commentsTue, 02 Dec 2014 19:51:30 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4132It’s easier today than ever before to build, maintain, and manage a website. Thanks to tools like WordPress, you no longer need to possess an understanding of programming language in order to create unique, well-developed websites for anything from a personal portfolio to a corporate website. Over the past few years, WordPress has grown in […]

]]>It’s easier today than ever before to build, maintain, and manage a website. Thanks to tools like WordPress, you no longer need to possess an understanding of programming language in order to create unique, well-developed websites for anything from a personal portfolio to a corporate website.

Over the past few years, WordPress has grown in popularity to become the platform of choice for millions of websites across the world. Part of the reason for this is WordPress’ ability to seamlessly integrate third-party software and coding, which adds much of the robust functionality that WordPress websites have come to be known for.

One area where WordPress truly shines is in the domain transfer process. In the past, transferring a website from one domain name to another could be a gruesome process which most website administrators would avoid whenever possible. While transferring a website from one domain isn’t the easiest thing you can do on WordPress, it is easy enough for most people to learn and do themselves, and without question far easier than it was a few years ago.

The following is a step by step process to follow when transferring your website from one domain to the other, and some important things to remember when doing so.

WordPress Site Migration

First things first would be to install WordPress to your Bluehost account. You can install a blank version of WordPress to your Temporary URL.

Setup ManageWP

Next you will want to sign up at ManageWP.com for a new account. You can use ManageWP for free by going to their home page, entering your email address, and clicking Try It For Free. Once you do this, you will automatically be taken to a window where you can add your existing website to your ManageWP dashboard.

Enter your site URL, username, and password. By doing this, ManageWP will automatically install the ManageWP plugin to your site and link the site to your ManageWP Dashboard. Then you will need to add your new website with your temporary URL to your ManageWP dashboard as well. To do this, click Add Website on the sidebar. Once you both websites are added to your dashboard on ManageWP, you can start the migration process.

Migrate Your Site

1. Click Clone/Migration in the Quick Access tool box.

2. Choose which website you wish to migrate. Your site should be listed under Existing Website. Click the website, then Next.

3. Once Manage WP has created a snapshot of your site, you will choose the destination. Select the site that you are migrating to, under Existing Website and click Next.

4. This should bring up a new window, reiterating which website you are cloning to. If this is correct, click the Clone button.

5. Once the cloning process has finished, you should be shown a message that the clone was successful. You can click Done.

Changing the URL

Once you are done with the migration, you will need to change your name servers to point the DNS here. The name servers are ns1.BlueHost.com and ns2.BlueHost.com

Once the DNS is pointed here, you can change the WordPress URLs to reflect your domain name instead of the Temporary URL. Both the WordPress Address and the Site Address need to be the same and changed to your domain name.

Login to your WordPress dashboard.

From Settings choose General

Then update the Home and Site URLs.

After updating the Home and Site URLs you will find that internal links to pages and references to images are not updated. Instead, these links and references will point to your old domain name. Velvet Blues will fix that problem by helping you change old urls and links in your website.

Then you just need to save your new URL settings by saving your permalinks. To do this, you will go to your Settings and click Permalinks. You shouldn’t have to make any changes, simply click the Save Changes button. This will make sure that all of the links on your site are now using your domain instead of the Temporary URL.

Once ManageWP has created a snapshot of your site, you will choose the destination. Select the site that you are migrating to, under Existing Website. Click Next.

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/migrate-wordpress-site-new-domain-4132/feed/0Code For Americahttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/open-source/code-america-3873/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=code-america
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/open-source/code-america-3873/#commentsMon, 01 Dec 2014 22:41:59 +0000https://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=3873Bluehost has long been an avid supporter of open source technology and programs. At Bluehost we feel open source is a big part of what made us who we are today. We strive to work hand-in-hand with developers to leverage our resources and expertise toward helping their software thrive. And by participating in events such as OSCON we’re […]

]]>Bluehost has long been an avid supporter of open source technology and programs. At Bluehost we feel open source is a big part of what made us who we are today. We strive to work hand-in-hand with developers to leverage our resources and expertise toward helping their software thrive. And by participating in events such as OSCON we’re able give back to the open source community.

We love contributing to programs that show promise and hope for the future of technology and open source. We’re happy to say that his year we’ve continued the support of Code for America and made our second annual donation of over $250,000 to the program. Code for America is a non-profit organization that helps local governments keep pace with their citizens and stay connected through new open source tools and technologies. With the help of donations, they support teams of local volunteers dedicated on improving how they server their communities through technology.

Code for America isn’t about politics – they instead aim to improve government, and open source is able to make a unique difference. There are several ways you can make a difference. In addition to spreading the word, join Bluehost and contribute, encourage your company to donate, volunteer at a local brigade, or even apply to become a full-time fellow for one year!

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/open-source/code-america-3873/feed/0Everything You Need To Know About WordPress 4.0http://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/everything-need-know-wordpress-4-0-4125/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=everything-need-know-wordpress-4-0
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/everything-need-know-wordpress-4-0-4125/#commentsTue, 11 Nov 2014 19:24:33 +0000http://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=4125For years, WordPress has been one of the top content management system (CMS) options for creating professional, clean, and highly-functional websites. The popular platform received a major upgrade in September that improves the user interface and overall writing experience, and adds many requested features and security fixes. Here’s what you need to know about what’s […]

]]>For years, WordPress has been one of the top content management system (CMS) options for creating professional, clean, and highly-functional websites. The popular platform received a major upgrade in September that improves the user interface and overall writing experience, and adds many requested features and security fixes. Here’s what you need to know about what’s new in version 4.0:

Media embeds are as easy as falling out of bed.

No more fiddling with the text view in order to add cumbersome URLs. In 4.0, you simply paste a YouTube link, a tweet, a TEDTalk or whatever other third-party content you want to embed and it automatically shows up. In addition, the instant preview gives you a better idea of what the media will look like in the final post, which saves a lot of time (and headaches!) that would otherwise be spent reformatting and refreshing.

The media library is in grid format.

Your media library is now presented in grid format, which allows you to easily see what you have uploaded for use on your WordPress site. You can choose from small, medium, and large previews. The design is responsive, which makes it easy to update on the go. Sort through media types, organize by date, or search for images and videos that you have added.

One thing to note: some media plugins, such as EWWW Image Optimizer, will not function properly in the grid view. WordPress decided to make the grid view very simple, so to see additional information that is available in some plugins, you will need to toggle to list view.

The editor expands as you write.

With all the additions to the platform over the years, some WordPress users started to feel that CMS’s original purpose–delivering written content–had taken a back seat. Version 4.0 makes the composing window easier to use by expanding as you write, and the formatting tools are now displayed on the right-hand side.

This improvement was driven, in part, by feedback from the WordPress user community. In a bug report sent earlier this year, developer Mark Jaquith stated: “The post editor feels like it has been relegated to a box of medium importance on the edit/compose screen…. I want to move editing closer to the distraction-free editing experience, to better let you focus on your content when you’re actually editing it.”

However, this hasn’t been a completely trouble-free change. When writing extremely long posts, you need to return to the top of the page to access the publish button, tags, categories, and other fields. A quick-fix is to hold down command/control and then hit the up or down buttons.

Finding the add-ons you need.

With more than 30,000 plugins in the WordPress directory, the improved plugin search makes it much easier to find the add-ons that you need. The plugin installer now shows available options in a grid view, making it simple to expand functionality of your CMS.

Does not automatically update.

Most updates on WordPress are automatic, so you aren’t required to do anything to get the new fixes. Because 4.0 is a major release, it will not be an auto-update version. Users can download the new version from WordPress.org or update in the WordPress dashboard.

Troubleshooting.

If you have problems after installing, there are a few ways to troubleshoot to make sure the error isn’t your browser, theme, or plugins. In the troubleshooting master list for 4.0, Moderator Jan Dembowski recommends trying the following:

Deactivate all plugins. Then, if this seems to resolve the issue, reactivate one at a time to identify the problem plugin.

]]>http://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress-2/everything-need-know-wordpress-4-0-4125/feed/0Ways To Reach Your Customershttp://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/ways-reach-customers-3786/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ways-reach-customers
http://www.bluehost.com/blog/small-business/ways-reach-customers-3786/#commentsMon, 10 Nov 2014 18:13:56 +0000https://www.bluehost.com/blog/?p=3786Thanks to the broad reach of social media and other digital tools, engaging customers has never been easier. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can take your foot off the gas. Those same powerful engagement tools are being used by your competitors, so the battle for customer engagement and retention has never been fiercer. Keep […]

]]>Thanks to the broad reach of social media and other digital tools, engaging customers has never been easier. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can take your foot off the gas. Those same powerful engagement tools are being used by your competitors, so the battle for customer engagement and retention has never been fiercer.

Keep your engagement tactics on point, and follow the best ten ways to reach and engage your customers.

Transform loyal customers into brand ambassadors

The only thing more valuable than a dedicated customer is a dedicated customer who raves about your company to friends, family, and social media connections. Turning your biggest fans into advocates is a savvy way to boost public awareness. Best of all, this approach doesn’t require a large financial outlay — though it does require significant outreach and engagement efforts.

Use guerrilla tactics

If your reserves of creativity are greater than your promotional budget, there’s no better way to engage potential customers than a well-executed guerrilla marketing campaign. The setup is simple — you just employ unconventional promotional tactics designed to create buzz. Examples are inserting your business card into every book related to your business in a bookstore or library, or advertising a special at your restaurant where bald men eat free on Wednesdays.

Overhaul your social media strategy

Let’s face it, after a certain amount of time, even the freshest approach goes stale. That goes double for the dynamic social media realm, which cycles through changes at a mind-bottling rate. If your current strategy isn’t paying off, it’s time for a refresh. Consider upgrading your content and images, increasing your engagement with other pages and profiles, and posting more often. If you’re stumped for time or ideas, consider hiring a social media expert to manage your platforms for you.

Turbocharge your website

There’s no excuse for having a static and dull site that looks straight out of Websites 101. Your company website should use design elements and content to engage customers. If you haven’t started a blog, do so. If you have a blog, ensure that your content is high-end and interesting, so that your readers keep coming back. Make sure your search optimization techniques are current so potential customers can find you when doing a Google search. In short, do everything your competition is probably doing — but better.

Pick a winner

Staging a contest is one of the tried and true methods for building or cultivating a client base, and the return usually brings volumes of personal data and valuable sales leads. Contests are also a great opportunity to engage potential customers and build buzz, especially when the prize is a product or service you offer. A good contest is often topical, designed to pique the interest of your target demographic and successfully marketed across high-impact digital platforms.

Practice total engagement

Acquiring a new customer is just the first step in an ongoing battle for retention and cultivation. That’s why it’s important to engage customers regularly in order to maintain their attention and affection. Just because you’ve won the opening round doesn’t mean your competitors will give up. Personalized messages, contests, rewards programs, and other similar tools deepen relationships and help generate priceless word-of-mouth advertising. Don’t let your customers forget about you.

Fine tune your brand identity

All the marketing and promotional efforts in the world are going to be of limited use if your core message is incoherent. Your company branding needs to be, at minimum, professional and refined. To truly reach customers, however, you need a consistent and compelling voice — a story customers respond to and believe in. Well-executed branding is a customer engagement cornerstone. At its highest level, customers will incorporate your company’s voice and vision into their own consumer identity.

Enlist the help of your employees

When it comes to getting your message out, who knows the strengths of your company better than your own staff? Inspired employees make great ambassadors at conferences, networking events, and in the public sphere. Company-branded promotional items such as pens, buttons, clothes or bumper stickers generate interest. When these items are delivered by an employee eager to engage prospective customers, that interest multiplies considerably.

Refine your customer service approach

We all know the high value of word-of-mouth marketing. Sparkling customer service is one of the best ways to get people talking about your business. If you provide great products and services, deliver results quickly, resolve issues promptly, and employ a personal touch, you’ll be in position to create lifetime customers — and great public advocates for your brand.

Give something to get something

Charitable giving doesn’t just benefit the recipient — it builds goodwill among the public and, more importantly, with potential customers. A well-placed donation to a school, church or non-profit agency fills a charitable need and helps elevate your corporate reputation. It’s smart to highlight this kind of giving subtly, as it should not appear to be a transparent effort to generate good feelings with money.

To reach today’s customers you have to be smart, vigilant and diversified in your approach. Follow these tips and you’ll see happier, more engaged customers — and an improved bottom line.